New Zealand Heartland XV 35 Pacific Coast 12 (halftime: Heartland 21-5)

(San Francisco) Flanker Jon Dampney and wing Lasa Ulukuta each scored a pair of tries to lead the New Zealand Heartland XV to a comfortable 35-12 win over the Pacific Coast Sunday at Rocca Field.

The visitors snatched three opportunist scores in the opening half hour, all converted by flyhalf Scott Leighton, before the preseason Grizzlies began to make some plays. A string of forward rushes culminated with lock Dan LaPrevotte's burrowing tally right at halftime to bring the count to 21-5.

Following a mishit Pacific Coast penalty attempt and Dampney's second at 49 minutes, center Tevita Okusi stepped in front of a Heartland backline move and raced away to make the count 28-12 with plenty of time remaining. But goalline Heartland defense around the 65-minute mark frustrated the hosts' best second-half passage, and Ulukuta crossed again at 70 minutes to close out the affair.

On the clear but damp afternoon that followed Saturday's rainstorm, Heartland dictated the game behind tactical kicking and dominant setpieces. The Grizzlies, who couldn't control their field position or possession, were at their best in midfield and through phases of loose play led by forwards Josh Vavao, Sam Manoa, and Aaron Latzke, running and defending purposefully.

In a match that had the feel of a pickup game -- handling and other simple errors underlined the Heartlanders' having five days together and the Grizzlies not many more -- the Kiwis had more players instinctively on the same page. No kidding.

The upshot is less well understood: In American rugby, installing structure is often more valuable than optimizing selections. The Heartland squad comprises just 24 players, many from the Mid-Canterbury and Wanganui sides that contested the second division final, and will likely improve with five days' more training as well as Rio Tino Stadium's superior field. Though favorites on paper, a USA 'A' side insufficiently drilled in what it's trying to do could find itself in trouble.

The remainder of the American squad to face the Heartland XV and some possibly Uruguay today muster in Denver.

Heartland XV 35 Pacific Coast 12

Pacific Coast
Tries: Dan LaPrevotte, Tevita Okusi
Conversion: Volney Rouse

Heartland XV
Tries: Jon Dampney (2), Lasa Ulukuta (2), Kevin Moore
Conversions: Scott Leighton (5)

Referee: Pete Smith (United States)
Attendance: 425 (estimated)

United States Squad for New Zealand Heartland XV and Uruguay
Forwards: Inaki Basauri (Agen), Chris Baumann (Gentlemen of Aspen), Todd Clever (Xerox Lions), Mark Crick (PAC), JJ Gagiano (Univ. of Cape Town), Matt Hawkins (OMBAC), Scott Lavalla (Trinity College), Owen Lentz (Maryland Exiles), Tony Lewis (Omaha Goats), Mike MacDonald (Leeds Carnegie), Brian McClanahan (Olympic Club), Courtney MacKay (Auckland), Mate Moeakiola (Pukekohe), Alec Parker (Gentlemen of Aspen), Shawn Pittman (San Francisco Golden Gate), Rikus Pretorius (OMBAC), Pat Quinn (Denver Barbarians), Kevin Sheahan (St. Mary's College - Dublin), Hayden Smith (Saracens), Louis Stanfill (undeclared), John Van der Giessen (Denver Barbarians), Joe Welch (Univ. of California), Ben Wiedemer (Belmont Shore)

Backs: Justin Boyd (Dallas), Gavin DeBartolo (Eastern Suburbs), Cornelius Dirksen (Life University), Hanno Dirksen (Trojan), Paul Emerick (Parma), Chad Erskine (Rotherham), Mike Hercus (IBM), Angelo Malifa (Eden), Ata Malifa (Belmont Shore), Malenese Malifa (Belmont Shore), Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarittz), Thretton Palamo (Biarritz), Mike Petri (NYAC), Mark Roberts (Chicago Lions), Robbie Shaw (Connacht), Junior Sifa (Midleton), Salesi Sika (Beziers), Roland Suniula (Pearl City), Albert Tuilopotu (San Mateo), Alipate Tuilevuka (Park City Haggis), Chris Wyles (Saracens)

Management: Scott Johnson (coach), Adam Friend, Rob Holder, Bill LeClerc, John McNamara, Dan Payne, Matt Sherman, Marty Wiggins, David Williams

Comments

[Gainline Fan]

It will be interesting to see if the Heartland team with far less time together than Johnson team (at the end of the international season) will be better organized.

The US under Johnson have looked aimless. These Kiwi boys have the look of an organized bunch in a weeks time. Give them another week together and Johnson's boys will be in trouble.

[Nostradmus]

Tale of the tape:
Scrum - even.
Lineout - ?
Overall athleticism - Eagles A
Fitness - Eagles A
Skill in contact - NZ
Skill in handling - even
Kicking - NZ
Organization - Eagles A
Home team - Eagles A
Coaching - ?

There are two questions in the next match. If those two are even at the end of the day, USA "A" wins this game by 15 points.

[betting man]

there shouldn't even be a question that a national second xv could beat an amateur 2 div npc side.

but I would bet on the heartland team.

[ISP8]

Was yesterday's Heartland Team it's Best XV, or a mid-week squad?

If the Eagles gel, it will be Eagles by 9.5+

If it's another test full of "nice to meetcha" and "G-day Bruce, G-Day Bruce" in the locker room before heading out the tunnel, it will be US by no better than 3.5.

[Cap'n Willard]

Nice to see that Scott "Meet and Greet" Johnson kept Thorburn's Staff O'fools on for yet another season of underachievment.
If we are lucky Sherman or Payne in a moment of clarity will terminate SJ's command.
"...terminate with extreme prejuidice..."

[LeClerc's mom]

We are stuck with Invisible man so we'll have to try and put a hat on him. Abbott and Costello need to find work elsewhere and promote Dracula and Frankenstein instead.

The American support cast are merely there to hold doors, take off scarves and order pints.

If they are actually making decisions at this point, we are in more trouble that I thought...

One thing I do know - our scrum will be tighter. Let's hope they removed all tactical and lineout from training - it didn't work for them anyway. Just concentrate on what we currently do best...

.... ....

.... yah, I haven't figured that out either.

[John Birch]

When TB was coach we had a world class lineout and it was more than just great personell (Gross, Parker, Lyle, Hodges, Schubert).
In a revolutionary move (word on the street is that) Coach Billups allocated a portion of training time to the lineout, some say even more time than the scrum.

[Old Eagle]

Dear John,

I was a member of Coach Billups' teams and from what I hear things are a lot different now than then. We spent a lot of time in team meetings and had a real sense of what we were going to do and why as I remember it. We had goals and won a lot in 2003. Those are my memories of being in Red, White, and Blue. No excuses made, none accepted.

I have buddies who are in the Eagle pool or whatever it is now, and they tell me wild stories of not know what is going to happen on and off the field. Don't get me wrong, they aren't trying to stir up trouble, but they say things are very loose, from admin and management (Rob Holder !?) to the plan on the field.

I don't have any axe to grind or agenda, but hearing what I hear, I am glad Billups was the boss when I played. It was really something to be a part of then.

[Nostradmus]

Would we be better off resorting to the old Japanese LO (throw to the shoe tops and ruck over/hook it back)-just kidding

I can't wait for the Lineout featherweight championship: USA vs. Japan LO...

Running a 90's LO ain't gonna beat Japan, and may spell the doom against Heartland.

[Lt. Gen Nathan Bedford Forrest]

Im past the point of caring about our national team, I mean I wish the boys well but; 3-0, 2-1, 0-3 does it really matter? We will not make any steps forward until we get rid of all the IRB Carpet Baggers.

Roberts, Melville, Solomons and Thorburn, have done damage that will not be repaired easily or in a timely manner.

[yep, don't care]

Yep, that's where I am as well. I hope the team wins, but I'm not that invested in the Eagles. Not sure if it was the anthem thing, the losing, excuses, finding out how much money these guys are making, how poorly they treat high school and college, the lack of yank in the approach, just not sure where my 'give a shit button' got broke. But I don't care anymore.

[Flynn Hagerty]

I still care. I'll always care. It's the national team, and living abroad the Eagles are the only thing I can cling onto that represents US rugby. I support Wales, and I'll be in Cardiff this weekend, but it's not the same.

The difference is my expectations aren't what they used to be, and I don't feel any identity with the team. I miss the old Eagles.

[SD Hitman]

We all have to remember that the boyz on the field have no say in who's at the top, what the development plan is, or where money's coming from. All they know is that they have been selected to play for the USA Eagles, an honor that only a minute fraction of this blog's population would ever hope to have. With all of their heart, they do all that is asked of them and try their best on the field and I don't think that has ever been disputed.

It's easy to be fed up with transgressions the program has been/is going through over the course of the last 5 years. I am right there with all of you. And I do want them to go 3-0 as well. Will it happen? Who knows? 2-1 is what I see materializing....

Regardless, I guarantee the boys selected to play for each of these matches will leave it on the field. They will make mistakes but that happens to the best as well. Despite how disadvantaged we are as a rugby nation, most of these guys will be playing and working tirelessly for the honor of the Eagle jersey and the spoils of well-executed play. For that alone we should give them our support. None of us can make the changes at Boulder we'd like to see but it shouldn't stop us from cheering on the men in USA Eagles jerseys!!! Go USA, get u some Tero and Cherry Blossom!!!

[Old Eagle]

I think your comment is spot on Flynn. We used to have an identity, a soul. I am not jonesing for the good old days, like some might think reading this, but I can't seem to find an aspect of the Eagle team that I identity with, and it wasn't that long ago that I was in red, white, and blue.

Don't get me wrong, I love Big Mac, Emerick, Parker, Sika and the old boys. Some of the best, toughest guys I have ever ran with, but it seems everything has changed from what the team used to represent.

It has nothing to do with foreign born players, as some of them are living legends, but more to do with the administrators and coaches all not being from here. It used to be never be excuse after excuse. I just cringe at all the Aussie stuff, all the "we need to be like New Zealand" stuff from the chairman etc.

What is wrong with being an American Eagle ? Full time, part time, who cares. 15 boys that care so much about the flag that they get fit enough, focus, and play their brains out to represent the stars and stripes.

Looks like Caravelli has his guys playing with the American Spirit.

[Flynn Hagerty]

I could care less where a guy's from. I grew up playing my rugby for Golden Gate; I know very well that someone born in the Shaky Isles is more than deserving of wearing the US jersey. I saw guys from my club bleed for the cause with my own eyes back in the days at Boxer Stadium. Many of them were quite simply heroes of mine and a great inspiration growing up playing the game. I'm lucky that I started playing the game being taught by some of the very best players in the country no matter where they were born. Disregarding those guys, who here can truly look themselves in the mirror and say Mike Hercus has disgraced the national team? Or Mark Williams. Or Andre Bachelet. Or Richard Tardits. You could go on and on...

Besides, half the "imports" are American citizens. It's the "imports" who don't deserve their place on the team based solely on their playing ability I have a problem with. Who wouldn't?

I just don't know where we're going now. In some ways we have things the old regimes would have given up kidneys for - a real 'name' international coach, a huge budget, games in big professional venues, ESPN. If you had told me in 2001 we'd have all these things, I'd laugh. Yet we're worse off from a playing standpoint than we have been arguably since the early 80s. Part of it is coaching based, because we've been in a state of flux since Billups resigned until now. Part of it is our own fault - I've had several people say to me they feel they haven't seen an improvement on our domestic rugby in five years, and in the professional era where the game is always changing and moving forward that's death. We as stakeholders in the game need to change that.

But the union should be there to guide the game, and that's not happening. People with significant expertise in rugby aren't being consulted. People with significant expertise in American sports culture aren't being consulted. There is no plan, both commercially and on the field. We have an objective, but it looks wildly unrealistic each passing day.

That breeds apathy.

[Government of the Republic of China]

God Bless our Eagles

[Clowns]

A couple wins and you jokers will tone it down, a couple more and you will be quite and if they win a couple matches in the 2011 WC you will be saying these guys are genius. Typical yanks.

[Portugal on our heels]

I agree Flynn.
The politics of rugby ruined the game for me.

My quest to improve domestic player identification and remove politics from the game was short lived.

Not that the leadership really cares, but at the National level it appears worse. Domestic identification is in shambles.

Worse yet, the current policy is in danger of producing a void of future American coaches.

[Reggie Lewis]

Everyone seems to swing from the twig and berries of Tom Billups. Did he coach and prepare a team well? Absolutely. Did he have a good showing in his RWC? Sure, if you count a win over Japan as worthy of legendary status. Lest we all forget, we got smoked in the Super Powers Cup by the likes of Russia, Canada, Japan etc. The man finished with something like 10 wins and 18 losses.

I just hope that all you negative nancies here on gainline will show SJ the same level of respect if he coaches the team to beat Uruguay and Japan.

To all that say that SJ must go about consulting all the former players/coaches/USA Rugby know it alls....Do you think Obama will be consulting with Bushie? Does Warren Buffet consult the head of Lehman Brothers before he buys stock? Did Terry Francona consult Grady Little when he became the manager of the Red Sox? Now I'm not saying SJ is as charismatic as Obama, as intelligent as Buffet, or as good of a coach as Francona I'm just saying....in what other field does this sort of 'consult the guy that preceeded you, and random people in the profession' mentality exist?

Now I am not an SJ apologist - I agree with some of the things he is doing, and disagree with quite a few others. But to read a publication like Gainline and see people whinging and moaning about why their almighty intellect wasn't consulted about how SJ should construct HIS team is just borderline pathetic.

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